Job 1
Job’s Character and Wealth
1There was a man in the land of aUz whose name was bJob, and that man was cblameless and upright, one who dfeared God and eturned away from evil. 2There were born to him fseven sons and three daughters. 3He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all gthe people of the east. 4His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and hconsecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and ioffer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and jcursed ▼▼The Hebrew word bless is used euphemistically for curse in 1:5, 11; 2:5, 9
God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually. Satan Allowed to Test Job
6Now there was a day when lthe sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and mSatan ▼▼Hebrew the Accuser or the Adversary; so throughout chapters 1–2
also came among them. 7The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From ogoing to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 8And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you pconsidered my qservant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, ra blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” 9Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? 10Have you not put sa hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have tblessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11But ustretch out your hand and vtouch all that he has, and he will wcurse you xto your face.” 12And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. Satan Takes Job’s Property and Children
13Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 14and there came a messenger to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, 15and ythe Sabeans fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants ▼▼Hebrew the young men; also verses 16, 17
with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 16While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, aa“The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 17While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, ab“The Chaldeans formed acthree groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 18While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, ad“Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 19and behold, a great wind came across aethe wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 20Then Job arose and aftore his agrobe and ahshaved his head aiand fell on the ground and worshiped. 21And he said, aj“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I akreturn. The Lord algave, and the Lord has taken away; amblessed be the name of the Lord.”
22 anIn all this Job did not sin or charge God with aowrong.
Job 2
Satan Attacks Job’s Health
1Again apthere was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. 2And the Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 3And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still aqholds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him arwithout reason.” 4Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. 5But asstretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will atcurse you to your face.” 6And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.”7So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome ausores from avthe sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8And he took awa piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in axthe ashes.
9Then his wife said to him, “Do you still ayhold fast your integrity? azCurse God and die.” 10But he said to her, “You speak as one of the bafoolish women would speak. bbShall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” ▼
▼Or disaster; also verse 11
bdIn all this Job did not besin with his lips. Job’s Three Friends
11Now when Job’s three bffriends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz bgthe Temanite, Bildad bhthe Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to bishow him sympathy and comfort him. 12And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they bjtore their robes and sprinkled bkdust on their heads toward heaven. 13And they sat with him on the ground blseven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.
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